I knew I could count on you guys. Thank you, thank you for the links and all the suggestions.

I will be trying tray development for the first time and expect to have reasonable luck, since I'm only doing 2 sheets! As I move ahead I'll need the ability to do more, so I am grateful for the study time you've provided.

I could babble on about my newbie excitement but I'm sure you've heard it all before.

I use a CPE-2 Jobo with 2509n reels for most of my 5x4. I still have, and use my home made tubes for doing single sheets by inversion. There is also the 'taco' method for using a standard daylight reel tank.

Any of the methods work, it just depends on what your resources are, how many sheets you want to do in a session, and what seems most comfortable. It's the result that counts.

I also have just bought an Omega D5 it came with Combiplan tanks. Not developed any film yet. I checked different methods on how to develop and by a coincidence I happend to have a Paterson Orbital (never used). For me it seems an easy way to develop film with less chemistry.

I started out with tray development for 5x4 film. Never could get it right. Consistency was difficult. Scratches were hard to avoid.

Moved to BTZS tubes. This was an improvement in some ways and not in others. Many people report good consistency with this method, but I lost some good shots to uneven development in clear smooth tones like skies. I also didn't like the way you have to nearly rip the film from the tubes because the design keeps the developer off the back of the film -- and basically causes the back to glue itself to the tube. Yucko.

Moved to a Jobo 3010 tank. All problems solved. I've put close to 1000 sheets of 5x4 film though my 3010 in about five years now. I get beautifully consistent results, perfectly even development, every single time.

I'm not one who's in photography for the process. I'm not a big fan of standing around in the darkroom -- I just want something that works, works really well, and is really repeatable. I want the process to be as close to automatic as I can get it. That means developing using a Jobo 3010 tank.

Many people try to save money and use lesser methods. I did. And I'd read the same things you have. So don't feel bad if you start out with tray developing and work your way up to a 3010. But you could save yourself a lot of time, effort, frustration, and trashed film if you'd just start with a 3010 in the first place. I'm just sayin'...

Depending on how much you want to spend, you might want to find a Phototherm (Photo-therm) on ebay. If the item includes a 4x5 reel (which holds four 4x5 films), so much the better. Otherwise you could by a 4x5 reel directly from Phototherm.

A Phototherm is a much higher quality piece of equipment that a CP-series Jobo, is more automated, and is easier to use. The down side is that Phototherms are somewhat less flexible in the development programs you can run. This is a consequence of the fact that Photo-therms are automated, but the CP-series Jobos are not.

Auction prices for Phototherms range widely. I have two. One cost me ~$75. The other was ~$300 as I recall. Sometimes they sell for well over $1000.

There are three basic series. The oldest is FP-1. The next is Sidekick. The most recent is Super Sidekick. The mainframes come in two sizes. One can handle tanks that hold up to four rolls of 35mm (or 4 sheets of 4x5). The other can handle tanks that hold up to eight rolls of 35mm. Although I can't swear to it, I think the 8-roll phototherms would also handle up to 8 sheets of 4x5 film. All the Photo-therms are table-top units.

4x5 developement

I haven't read anyone suggesting John Sexton's slosher. Its basically a tray with dividers. Mine is homemade from a paper developing tray with glued in plastic dividers with plenty of holes to provide for agitation. I have tray that hold four or six 4x5's and one that holds 4 5x7s. If you make it yourself its dirt cheap, easy to use and sinece the films are separated no scratches. I am sure that the various tube systems out there are great but I am too cheap to buy them and to lazy to learn their use.

I only do 8 or 12 sheets a week, and I still do them in trays. It's cheap, reliable, fast, and cheap. I don't know what all the fuss is about with scratches and stuff -- never had them -- and figure most of the other gizmos mentioned above need to be loaded and unloaded, which might cause scratches. If you are doing vast numbers and/or you don't have a darkroom, well, yes, but if it's a casual thing, there's no shame in doing the tried and true.

I could babble on about my newbie excitement but I'm sure you've heard it all before.

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But it's no less fun to hear about others's excitement in new photographic adventures.

Thank you for saying that. I am pretty turned on by all of this. The Tachihara itself is just a beautiful camera - it's not the "red" cherrywood design, it's made of black rosewood and has chrome hardware. So even while my mind is moving ahead with these practical considerations, there's a big part of me that's still in the "Shiny! Pretty!" stage here.

Many people try to save money and use lesser methods. I did. And I'd read the same things you have. So don't feel bad if you start out with tray developing and work your way up to a 3010. But you could save yourself a lot of time, effort, frustration, and trashed film if you'd just start with a 3010 in the first place. I'm just sayin'...

Right. I hear what you're saying, Bruce. It's this kind of commentary that helps me sort it out. I'll know a LOT more just by doing the tray development a few times and examining my results. As mentioned, I am a bit of a fumble-fingers so I expect to see some scratching with my first few attempts. Learning curves with everything, of course, so I'll just have to see what feels comfortable.

I'm so happy to be able to come here and get all this input! I do like being able to study on the choices I now know I have.